Christmas at Stonehaven
by rngr32
Summary: Its Christmas, and the Pack converges on Stonehaven to celebrate. For the members of the Pack, its a time for family, enjoying the snow, decorating, and foregoing some of the niceties which restrict them in the human world. Things get interesting when a mysterious stranger arrives and disrupts the holiday spirit. Or does he?
1. Chapter 1

Note: This is a little out of season, but I couldn't shake the story idea. This is based primarily off the television show, with bits of information from the books for background.

I do not own Bitten.

Snowflakes drifted silently down from an overcast sky to take their place on the already white-blanketed ground outside a stately old home. Had a passerby been able to see the building from the road, it would have appeared to be the perfect image for the front of a Christmas card, complete with smoke rising lazily from the chimney and a warm, welcoming glow seeping out from slightly frosted windowpanes. Instead, the home and its assorted outbuildings sat back away from the road, hidden from view by towering old trees and a winding gravel drive. A Land Rover sat parked near the front entrance, already covered with several inches of snow despite having been driven earlier in the day.

The owner of the vehicle sat safely inside his home near to the heartily blazing fire. Newspapers from all over the country sat on a table at his side, next to an unused glass and a decanter of brandy. Jeremy Danvers sat lost in thought, an abandoned newspaper clenched in one hand, and the other resting on the arm of his favorite armchair. Piercing blue eyes, framed by dark auburn hair and a neatly trimmed beard, stared unseeing at the painting which hung behind his desk across the room. Rather than contemplating some complex problem involving a rogue mutt, Jeremy was engaging in what certain members of his Pack might say was his favorite pastime: worrying. The members of his Pack, his family, should have begun arriving at Stonehaven hours earlier. They had all called within the last few days to inform him that they would be arriving between mid-morning and mid-afternoon. He'd even sent Clay and Elena into the city yesterday to pick up some foodstuffs and assorted necessities that could not be acquired in the small town of Bear Valley. Elena had decided to do some last minute shopping, so his son had called to inform him that they would be spending the night and returning the following day. Giving into an impulse he rarely indulged in, Jeremy sighed, ran his fingers through his hair, and stood, stretching his back and returning the newspaper to the pile next to his seat.

He stalked over to the window that looked out on the front of the house, not caring that he was backlit. Any mutt stupid or foolish enough (or both) to attempt an assault on Stonehaven in his human form in the dead of winter, with night rapidly approaching, would likely pose little challenge for an Alpha. Jeremy might not be as strong a fighter as his son, or even Antonio, his best and oldest friend, but he was formidable in his own right, as more than one mutt had discovered too late. Standing at the window, he watched the snow fall outside, savoring the contrast between the warmth of the fire at his back and the coldness given off by the window. He'd left several of the windows facing the front drive uncovered, aware that the glow of the lights would be a welcoming sight for his family as they came home.

The thought of his Pack drove him to scan what he could see of the long driveway, as if he could bring the cars up the drive through the force of his will alone. The worry began in the back of his mind, despite his own assurance that if something were truly wrong, he would know. Instead, Jeremy watched a fat snowflake drift to the ground where it disappeared amongst the innumerable others that had come before it. He stretched his senses beyond the room he was in, listening and smelling for the small indicators that all was well in his domain. The crackling of the fire faded away, and he heard the faintest kiss of wind through the tree branches, the hiss and plop of snow falling off a branch. Somewhere, out in the acres of untamed forest that comprised his estate, he heard the groaning and cracking of a tree that, weakened by previous storms and bearing the weight of an untold amount of snow, began its inevitable journey to the ground. Jeremy inhaled deeply, filtering the scents of winter: wood smoke, the musky scent of wet fur that he identified as a rabbit returning to its warren, the heavier, more elemental scent that told him a storm was on its way. Each piece of the puzzle reminded him of previous winters at Stonehaven, and the peace that usually came with them.

Another sound reached him, then, something not heard in nature. He listened again, more closely, to be sure, but his first instinct was confirmed: the crunch of tires on gravel, muffled slightly by the snow. He briefly lowered his forehead against the cool window pane, recognizing the sounds of the vehicle Clay and Elena had taken, before moving over to the foyer and reaching for his coat. By the time he had it buttoned up tight, Clay was pulling to a stop next to the Land Rover. Jeremy stepped outside, seeing Elena smile at him as if they weren't an hour late. He shook his head, and strode down the steps to offer a hand with the groceries and whatever other items the only known female werewolf had deemed it necessary to purchase. One glimpse at Clay, however, and the frustration and worry that had been a pit in his stomach for several hours began to ease. As his son stepped out from behind the vehicle, the light from the house highlighted the snowflakes trapped in his unruly blond hair.

It reminded Jeremy of the small boy he had introduced to snow the first winter after finding him half feral in the Louisiana swamps. It was one of the few instances where he had seen unsullied, child-like wonder on Clay's face. Of course, he had then had to answer the difficult questions of how, why, and where snow was formed, and where it went after it melted, but the image of his fascinated son was more than recompense. He'd tried to sketch the picture many times, but had never been able to catch the wonderment on the child's, his son's, face.

"Jeremy?" Elena's voice brought the man in question out of his reverie. The object of her concern quickly moved to join the woman he considered to be his daughter-in-law at the rear of the vehicle. Her pale blond hair was mostly hidden by a woolen knit cap, but her face was flushed from the cold and her blue eyes sparkled brightly. Elena grinned at him and tipped her head towards the drive. "We ran into Antonio and Nick on the way through Bear Valley, so they are just behind us." She held up one of several bags in her grasp and her grin widened. "I don't have time to hide these properly, so may I stash them in your room for now?"

Jeremy smiled, and nodded his assent, watching the woman who had become like a daughter to him bounce up the front steps and into the house. Had anyone else, even Clay, asked to hide Christmas presents in his room, he would have denied them outright. But Elena was different, and usually got her way with few complaints on his, or anyone else's, part. He turned back towards the drive and again heard tires crunching through the snow and gravel. Soon, the Sorrentino's SUV came into sight, headlights reflecting off the snow. Antonio Sorrentino sat behind the wheel, while his son, Nick sat next to him, twisted partially around to speak animatedly with someone in the backseat. As the car pulled in on the opposite side of Jeremy's Land Rover, the younger Sorrentino hopped out, followed closely by the two remaining members of his pack: the red-haired and gregarious Peter Myers, and the passionate and reserved Logan Jonsen. Jeremy barely had time to greet each before Clay loaded each man's arms with groceries and shepherded them towards the kitchen and pantry at the rear of the house, Nick's vocal protests about being used as a beast of burden echoing back down the hall.

"Everyone's here, then?" Jeremy turned to see his oldest friend watching him closely.

"Elena's upstairs, hiding presents."

Antonio laughed as the two men embraced, then stepped back with his arm still slung over the Alpha's shoulders. "You do know that Nick will find them, don't you?" He shook his head, "I suppose the better person to ask that question would be Elena. I don't understand why she hides them, anyway. A present is a present, so what does it matter if it gets unwrapped on the 21st or the 25th?" The two men moved towards the front door of the house. Jeremy shrugged, slightly.

"It makes her happy. I doubt most humans understand the intricacies of the Christmas holiday anymore than werewolves do. Besides, if Nick finds those presents, it means he was snooping in my room."

Antonio stopped and stared. Jeremy was known for his privacy. "You mean...?" His voice trailed off at the slight rise of his Alpha's eyebrow. "Well, one thing is for sure, that woman has made a place for herself in this Pack."

Jeremy just nodded, and both men were silent as they moved up the last few steps and into the foyer.

"Antonio!" Elena didn't cry out, or run down the stairs, but the genuine smile on her face and in her eyes made her happiness at seeing the elder Sorrentino evident as she came downstairs. Antonio, true to character, met her before she reached the bottom step and grabbed her in a bear hug as he twirled her around to land safely on the floor.

Nick came around the corner from the study and beamed a playful smile at his Pack sister. "Elena! Come here, you gorgeous creature." Laughing now, Elena allowed herself to be swept into another hug. Just as Clay came around the corner after him, Nick brought his lips down on Elena's in a not-so-chaste kiss. Clayton growled a warning as he brushed past them to greet Antonio with another back-slapping embrace.

"Hey! Who wants a drink?" Peter's voice called from the study, and the group in the foyer moved naturally to follow the enticement, shedding winter clothing as they went. Peter and Logan had found the tray of glasses and the decanter of brandy that Jeremy had set out earlier for this exact purpose. After Elena had greeted the other two Pack members, and everyone had a generous amount of brandy, the room faded into silence as everyone waited for Jeremy.

"To family," he said, raising his glass and drinking. After his Pack copied his movements, good natured teasing broke out amongst the five younger members, and Jeremy had to raise his hand for silence. "Tomorrow morning we will go out to find our Christmas tree and then put up decorations. I would like to get an early start." The last was directed at Nick, who had already finished his brandy and was reaching for the decanter.

He grinned. "It's good brandy." Jeremy's eyebrow rose again as he watched the younger man pour more into his glass, but said nothing. He was too content, watching each member of his Pack catch up on what the others had been doing. Nick began regaling Peter with a story about a woman he had met in a nightclub in New York City. Elena, Clay, and Logan had entered into a debate regarding the finer points of some new law that was being proposed. Antonio stood to his right, quietly sipping his drink.

"It's good to be back," He said.

Jeremy nodded, saying nothing as he watched the others. His family was home. For the time being, all was right in the world.


	2. Chapter 2

Sincere apologies for the delay in updating this story. I will try to update more quickly in the future.

It was morning, that much he knew. The weak winter sunlight streamed in the window, tauntingly bright against his closed eyelids. Nick was not a morning person by choice or by nature, but Jeremy had said first thing, so his internal clock had gone off well before he would have preferred. He could tell by the sounds drifting to him from around the house that the others were still preparing for the day as well. Someone was showering, and Logan was attempting to convince Pete that sleeping longer was not worth risking Jeremy's ire over. His Alpha and father were in the kitchen, talking and undoubtedly drinking coffee while Antonio began his preparations for breakfast.

The ever-welcome prospect of food brought Nick's eyes open, and he threw back the heavy winter blankets and left the comfort of his warm bed, cursing as his feet hit the cold floor. Stonehaven was old, large, and could be drafty during the winter. It was perfect during the hot summer months, and spring and fall were far from unbearable, but it was winter mornings like this one that sent Nick scrambling for his clothing in a rush to get downstairs for his own mug of coffee. As he dressed, he glanced out the window to see a world gone white. There was at least a foot and a half of snow, and although the sky was clear for the moment, a foreboding scent in the air suggested the possibility of more.

Before leaving the room, Nick grabbed his new hat. It was a special purchase, fun and sure to evoke a response from his Pack. Just outside the kitchen, he paused and pulled it onto his head, identifying the first wafting odors of cooking bacon, pancakes, eggs, and coffee coming from inside. Stepping into the room, he said good morning and made for the coffee maker for his first cup, discreetly observing the others' reactions as he did so. Elena was sitting at the long table, coffee mug raised halfway to her lips and an incredulous look on her face. Jeremy had glanced at him briefly to return the greeting and then turned back to continue his discussion with Antonio. Nick saw the moment when his Alpha's thoughts caught up to what his eyes were telling him; he turned slowly, one eyebrow raised with the corners of his mouth beginning to inch upwards in a losing battle against a grin.

Elena choose that moment to lose her own internal fight and burst out laughing, just as Nick had intended when he purchased the ridiculous headgear. Antonio turned then, and caught sight of his son. Nick knew what he saw. His dark hair was covered with an overly long, green, stocking cap which came to a point at the end. The truly ridiculous parts were the earflaps, to which were fastened elf ears that stuck out from his head at a highly improbable angle. The piece was finished off by the jingle bells that were fasted to the drooping end of the cap.

Antonio stood silently for a moment, cooking utensils in either hand, before he spoke in an overly controlled voice. "So this is the mysterious purchase you wouldn't tell me about."

"Tell who about what?" Logan asked as he, Pete, and a freshly showered Clay walked into the room. The latter stopped dead with a quiet "What the fuck?" while Logan and Pete began laughing so hard that they collapsed against each other.

"Well, why don't you be a helpful little elf, then, and set out plates and silverware?" Antonio said with a wicked grin. At that Jeremy laughed out loud, then shook his head and took a sip of his coffee as he sat in the chair at the head of the table. As if they had been give a cue to resume their morning routines, the others began shuffling around the kitchen. Logan and Pete managed to find their way to the table, still laughing, while Clay walked around to pour himself a cup of coffee, muttering under his breath about not being able to eat in peace. Antonio turned back to the grill, and Nick made his way over to the cabinets which held the plates and silverware.

The food was ready a few minutes later, and his father joined the rest of the Pack at the table. Jeremy took a bite of his pancakes before nodding to the rest of them, unleashing a fury of activity as eggs, bacon, and pancakes were dished up. Silence descended in the kitchen as everyone focused on their food with single-minded determination. It was nearly fifteen minutes before Jeremy spoke again.

"After breakfast we'll all go out and pick a tree, then come back here and start decorating." He glanced out the window before speaking again. "If we're quick with the tree, we should be able to get back to the house before it starts snowing again." Antonio nodded in agreement, casually sipping his coffee. The others were still devouring their food at a rate that would have frightened most humans, and simply remained silent. Nick also continued eating, but looked thoughtfully out the window in between bites of pancake. Jeremy had spent most of his life living at Stonehaven, and he knew the area better than anyone. That included subtle hints to the weather that would have escaped even the best meteorologists, so if his Alpha said it would snow later, it would.

As the food disappeared, talk became more frequent around the table. Jeremy and his father were discussing some new economic policy and how it might affect the latter's businesses. Clay, Logan, and Elena were discussing a journal article that Clay was writing on some anthropomorphic religion in South America, and Pete was quietly polishing off the last of the bacon. Pouring a third cup of coffee from the nearly-empty carafe on the table, Nick sat back and thought about how all of their lives had changed in the past few years.

Prior to Elena's being bitten, the Pack would have gathered at Stonehaven during the holidays, but such events had little to do with Christmas. Gifts were given, but the Pack had certainly never hiked into the woods to pick a Christmas tree or decorate Stonehaven together. If he was honest with himself, Nick had to admit that he preferred their holiday celebrations now that Elena was part of the Pack. They were a family, however strange at times, and holidays were about family, particularly this one. More importantly, it made Elena happy, and there was nothing Nick, and he suspected the others as well, wouldn't do to make their Pack sister happy.

With breakfast nearly over, Jeremy stood and drank the last of his coffee. "We'll leave in thirty minutes," he said. "Clay and Nick, make sure we have the tools; Antonio, help Elena put together some thermoses full of something hot; Logan, Pete, you two make sure that we can get the Land Rover and the Sorrentino's SUV out of the driveway." Instructions given, he walked out of the room. Everyone began bussing their dishes, leaving them to soak in the large sink before heading off to see to their assigned tasks.

Nick and Clay left the room together, and headed for the garage. In addition to holding part of Clay's collection of artifacts and some spare furniture, one wall was adorned with an odd assortment of tools. Unlike the Sorrentino estate, Stonehaven was maintained solely by the Pack. There were too many secrets hidden at Stonehaven to allow humans to perform maintenance on the house or grounds. The collection of tools had been added to as needed, and the result was a somewhat chaotic organization system.

"You grab the rope and tie-downs, and I'll get the saw." Clay said.

"Better grab the axe, too." Nick replied, already looking through a bin for a suitable length of rope. "Remember last year?" Clay grunted.

"It wasn't my fault the saw was dull."

"No, but you are the one who damn near ripped the tree out of the ground. At least this way, if the saw blade is dull, you can just chop it down." Clay grumbled, but grabbed both tools. "Ready?" Nick asked.

"Yeah." The two men made their way outside, where Jeremy, Logan, and Pete were shoveling snow to clear a path for the vehicles. Once they got going, their snow tires would take over, but trying to gain traction with snowdrifts several feet high against the tires would be difficult at best.

Jeremy looked up and raised an eyebrow when he saw the axe his son was carrying. "Nick's idea." Clay replied in answer to the unspoken question. When Jeremy looked at him, Nick could see the slight upturn to one corner of his mouth. It was apparent that his Alpha remembered the previous year, when in frustration Clay had snapped the chosen tree off near the ground, leaving splinters and an uneven base. It had leaned precariously in the study for the better part of a week before crashing down on Pete while he was asleep on the couch. Despite the amusing outcome, Nick was sure that everyone would likely want the tree to remain upright this year.

Tossing the supplies in the back of the Land Rover, he and Clay gave the other three men a hand in clearing the offending snow until the front door opened and Antonio and Elena stepped out, both carrying several large Thermoses of what smelled like hot chocolate. Jeremy straightened and looked at the area they had cleared, easily enough for both vehicles to get moving without any trouble.

"I think we'll head over to the west side of the property this year. There's the access road that runs along there, and it should be easier to get to." He said. Judging everyone else ready, Jeremy set his shovel against the garage wall and moved to get into the passenger's side of the Land Rover. Elena climbed in the back, while Logan and Pete moved toward the Sorrentino's SUV. Nick climbed in the passenger's side of their vehicle, while his father took the driver's seat and started the engine but didn't move the car. Clay stood near the garage, eyes closed and head cocked to one side. For a moment, Nick thought his friend smelled something, but Clay opened his eyes and shook his head slightly before getting into the driver's seat of the Land Rover. The other vehicle started up and moved slowly away from the house as Clay tested the traction.

"What was that about?" Logan asked from the back seat. Turning to look at his father, Nick could see that his dark brown eyes, so much like his own, were shadowed. Something was bothering him, but he wouldn't share whatever that was until he was ready.

"Probably nothing." Antonio said in response to Logan's question. He threw the car in gear and sent it rolling after the others.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everyone, thanks for the favorites and follows, they really are an encouragement. Naturally, right when I vow to update more often, life gets in the way. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and there will be more to come. Any reviews or suggestions are welcome!

As always, I don't own the characters.

The drive to the west side of the Stonehaven estate took longer than it ordinarily would have. Clay and Antonio took their time over the snow covered roads. Although Bear Valley did plow the roads in and around the town, they never came all the way out to clear the portion of the highway that passed by Stonehaven and led to many of the access roads. The lack of plowing and overhanging branches to block the snow ensured that even the large and well-equipped SUVs could lose their traction from time to time. The access road was better, sheltered as it was by large trees and their branches, but Clay still took his time, focusing on the road ahead.

With Clay focused on driving, and Elena and Nick pulling faces at each other through the rear and front windshields respectively (he was almost certain that Nick had started it), Jeremy was left to contemplate his son's actions in peace. Clay's sense of smell was nowhere near as good as Elena's, but he was the Pack enforcer, and even at the heart of Pack territory he was alert for dangers that might threaten his family and Alpha. Clay had smelled something, that much was certain, but it couldn't have been a strong scent, or even very near, otherwise his son would have informed him.

"We're here!" Elena's voice shattered Jeremy's quiet contemplation, and he realized they had arrived at the small corner of Stonehaven where a relatively clear piece of land was home to fir trees. He saw the others climbing out of Antonio's SUV, already debating what kind of tree to choose, and placed his hand on Clay's arm, stopping him in the process of opening the door. Elena, oblivious of their actions, left the car and slammed the door with a bang, jumping headlong into the debate. Clay turned to him with a questioning look, unintentionally mimicking Jeremy's own facial expressions.

"What did you smell?" Jeremy asked, knowing they had only a moment or two before one of the others noticed that they had remained in the car. Clay sighed, and turned to study the silent forest surrounding them through the windshield.

"I thought I smelled a Mutt," he replied. "But it was brief; the scent was there and gone again before I could identify who it was or even if I had actually smelled anything at all." He glanced at his father, who was also watching the trees as if he could spot the intruder.

"Hmmm. Antonio also mentioned that he thought he smelled a Mutt when they stopped in Bear Valley last night, but he couldn't catch a good scent either."

Clay laughed lightly, although it held little humor. "Any Mutt who attempts to come at us at Stonehaven, with the entire Pack present, has got to be insane."

"Don't forget it's the dead of winter, as well. They would either have to drive here from town, or travel the distance between Bear Valley and Stonehaven as a wolf. Either way we would have ample time to prepare." Jeremy thought for a moment, before continuing. "Let's keep this between us for the time being. But stay cautious, all the same."

Clay nodded, and left the warmth of the Land Rover to join in the now heated discussion over Christmas trees. Before doing the same, Jeremy zipped his heavy winter coat up tightly, and was glad he had once the frigid air hit him. The temperature had dropped several degrees since they had left the house, and was now cold enough to give even a werewolf pause. He crossed in front of the Land Rover and listened with amusement to Clay's suggestion that they forgo the tree altogether and simply dress Nick up. Nick growled and started forward, but Jeremy stepped forward.

"Enough. Nick's too short to be a tree, Clay." Nick spluttered with outrage, and straightened to his full height, but Jeremy didn't stop. "Elena picks the tree."

Elena grinned and grabbed Clay's hand, tugging him along to the nearest copse of trees. Pete and Logan followed, and a chagrined Nick trailed behind, muttering what Jeremy assumed to be less than complimentary remarks directed at Clay's back.

Antonio held back and walked slowly next to Jeremy. The snow was deeper here, the forest being more open, but not so deep as to make walking uncomfortable. Someone had planted fir trees in the clearing, years ago, probably with the intention of making a few dollars, but had never attempted to harvest them. Now, they served as an excellent supply of Christmas trees for Stonehaven.

The two older men watched silently as the younger pack members began debating each tree's merits. Antonio unscrewed the lid of the thermos he had been carrying and poured a liberal amount of steaming coffee into the cap. He passed it to Jeremy, who sipped it, appreciating the rich and distinctive scent and taste of the whiskey melding with the strong and bitter coffee, before handing it back to his friend.

"Clay hear something earlier?" Antonio asked casually, taking his own sip from the cup. Jeremy shook his head.

"No, he smelled something. Said it was a Mutt, but it was there and gone again before he could identify it." Antonio grimaced.

"Two times in as many days can't be a coincidence, Jeremy." His Alpha nodded, watching his son and daughter-in-law as they broke branches off the lower portion of the chosen tree to make space for Clay's saw. He took another sip from the coffee Antonio passed to him and laughed as Nick took advantage of Clay's stooped posture to shove him face first into the snow.

Clay surged to his feet and growled, but the effect was ruined by the bits of melting snow still clinging to his face. Nick danced out of range of Clay's first strike, but was distracted when Elena's snowball caught him hard in the chest. He went down with an astonished expression still on his face as Clay tackled him into a mound of snow, his elf-eared hat flying off in the opposite direction. Not to be outdone, Logan and Pete took it upon themselves to send Elena reeling with matching snowballs. Jeremy grinned to himself and glanced sideways at Antonio, who was already screwing the thermos cap back on. He raised an eyebrow and Antonio grinned.

"Shall we?" He asked, holding his hand out in the general direction of the escalating snowball fight. Jeremy nodded, and both men jumped into the fray.

For several minutes the snowballs, and occasional werewolf, flew through the air. By the time they all lay panting and tired in a heap near the tree Elena had chosen, Jeremy was sopping wet and more than ready for the warm confines of the Land Rover and a mug of the excellent coffee he and Antonio had sipped on. The temperature was continuing to drop, and he could see clouds rolling in, bringing more snow with them. He stood, trying in vain to brush some of the snow off his heavy coat and jeans.

"All right, everyone up. Let's get this tree back to the house before it starts snowing." Turning, he surveyed the area as everyone began moving again. Nick groaned as he stood, probing gently at an already swelling bruise on his forehead. Clay, impatient to be done, took the axe and hacked through the base of the tree, oblivious to Elena's exasperated comments. With the tree down, Clay and Logan began carrying it to the vehicles on the road, with Pete trailing and calling out good natured advice. Nick and Elena followed, carrying the tools and thermoses.

"What is it?" Antonio asked, coming to stand next to his Alpha and watching the nearby trees with suspicion.

"I'm just wondering about this mutt. You were right, before. His being here can't be a coincidence, but we both know that no one has sought me out for a challenge in a while. There has to be something else going on."

Antonio glanced at Jeremy's face, and saw the hardness that suggested he was more concerned than he let on. "Whatever it is, old friend, we can handle it together. As a Pack. There's no point in worrying about a danger that might not even exist."

Jeremy glanced towards his best friend and advisor. "You don't believe that this Mutt means well anymore than I do." Antonio just shrugged, and Jeremy sighed. Ahead of them, the rest of the Pack had reached the road, and Elena turned to wave her arm at the two stragglers. "But, you are right about one thing. There is no point in worrying about a threat that is this undefined." He waved back at Elena, and started walking in that direction.

"I'm only right about one thing?" Antonio asked impishly, his smirk reminiscent of his son's. Jeremy just growled.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello again. I'd love to give an exotic excuse for not updating this, but the truth is simply two months of overtime. Guess this will actually hit the right season after all. Please enjoy, and as always, feedback is welcome.

Oh, and I still don't own Bitten or the characters.

Less six hours later, Nick sat in Jeremy's study with a steaming cup of coffee and admired the Pack's handiwork. Decorating had gone as smoothly as it could with two stubborn artists and five clueless werewolves. To his mind, the traditional pine boughs, red bows, and candles contrasted nicely with the wood paneling and darker tones with which the room was currently decorated. The Christmas tree they, or rather Elena, had chosen that morning stood prominently in one corner, the many ornaments sparkling in the light and casting prismatic reflections around the room. Nick was just glad that Jeremy had forbade putting lights up outside the house, fearing the attention it might draw from holiday light gazers, whatever the hell they were. To him, climbing all over the house's stone facade to put up lights seemed too much like work. Even without the outside decorations, the Pack appeared to be drained from its display of human normalcy.

Jeremy and his father were standing by one window, staring out into the fading light as the snowstorm that his Alpha had predicted roared harmlessly against Stonehaven's walls. Elena sat leaning against Clay, calmly flipping through the images she had somehow captured on her camera during the chaos of decorating while her mate read an article on anthropology. Logan and Pete were playing a game of poker, their enhanced senses making an ordinarily challenging game into a farce of cheating and halfhearted attempts at misdirection. It looked like fun.

Nick rose from his place in Jeremy's favorite armchair and crossed over to top his coffee off with more brandy when Elena stiffened and looked up from her camera's screen.

"Jeremy!" At Elena's warning, everyone in the room went from relaxed to ready for a fight in an instant. Clay moved to his father's side, article forgotten, while Pete and Logan abandoned their card game and stood, ready for Jeremy's orders. Nick put his coffee cup down and strained his senses to detect whatever it was that Elena had smelled. First Jeremy, then his father, and finally Clay, nodded their heads slowly, and moved en masse to the front door. Nick followed, still trying to pick up whatever it was that had everyone so on edge. He marveled that, even with a snowstorm doing its best to bring the walls down around them, Elena could still detect a scent that didn't belong.

Just as he stepped outside, Nick heard the muted growling of a vehicle engine over the whining of the wind. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to start laying off the alcohol a bit. He'd been drinking since they had brought the tree back to the house, and even with his inhumanly fast metabolism he had been feeling a comfortable buzz for some time.

As if he could read his mind, Jeremy turned briefly to raise an eyebrow at the younger Sorrentino, but his attention moved back to the drive as an old truck from Detroit's glory days chugged into view. The Pack had arranged themselves in a semicircle in front of Stonehaven's steps, with Jeremy at the center. No one had bothered to grab coats or other cold weather gear from the hallway before coming outside, and to Nick's eye they looked extremely out of place with snow settling around them and the wind trying to tear the clothing off of them.

The truck slowed to a stop and turned off with a noise that was not unlike a death rattle, and a mutt stepped out, covered from head to toe with foul weather clothing, in stark contrast to the Pack.

Jeremy studied the intruder to his sanctum carefully. Unlike himself and his Pack, the mutt was, oddly to his mind, dressed well against the cold. The clothing itself was ill-fitting and worn, patched in places and heavily stained in others. It was odd enough for a werewolf to be this concerned about the cold, but in his experience, mutts rarely held on to clothing long enough to care if it was neatly patched. They wore through what they had and stole more, or purchased it with stolen money.

The mutt took several steps forward and stopped, head and face hidden by the overhang of the fur lined hood of his parka. Clay growled deep in his throat and started to move towards the interloper, but Jeremy's hand on his shoulder stopped him. Instead, Jeremy stepped forward, asserting both his authority and his intention to protect his Pack.

"Who are you? What are your intentions here? This is Stonehaven, the heart of Pack territory, and you were most certainly not invited."

The stranger laughed bitterly and threw the hood of his parka back to reveal the face of an old man, permanently tanned and lined by weather and the stresses of life itself. Jeremy stood frozen, in disbelief as much as shock. Behind him, Elena gasped, and he heard varied curses from the other members of his Pack. The man in front of them was most certainly a werewolf, his scent alone made that clear enough, but he appeared to be decades older than Jeremy, who was himself in his late sixties and still looked to be half that age.

"The whole world is Pack territory, Mr. Danvers. We Mutts just get by with whatever table scraps you care to share with us, or with whatever we can take ourselves."

"That may be true, but that doesn't explain what you are doing here." To his left, Clay growled again, louder this time. Jeremy continued, as if he hadn't heard. "By the way, this is Clay Danvers, my son. I'm sure his reputation precedes him."

The mutt nodded civilly to the younger Danvers, before returning his attention to the Alpha standing in front of him.

"Yes, yes, I've heard of his savagery in dealing with rogue mutts, as well as with any who challenge your authority, Danvers." He turned to Elena, causing all of the Pack to stiffen instinctually. "I have also heard of you, my dear. The only woman to survive being bitten. You are, indeed, a rare gem of the highest quality." The Mutt bowed elegantly.

"You still have not stated your purpose in coming here, mutt." Jeremy's voice had turned to steel and ice, and this time he made no attempt to restrain Clay when he took a step toward the intruder.

"It's quite simple, really. My name is Séamus, though most call me Jim these days. Don't have much of a second name, or at least none that I've used these last fifty years." The Mutt's voice remained casual, friendly even, but he began stripping out of his layers of clothing. In a distant corner of his mind, Jeremy noted that the increasingly worn and tattered layers revealed a frail body that, like its owner's face, was weathered and scarred. "See, Alpha, I'm old. Older than any werewolf, particularly a mutt, has any right to be. I've seen the world, and seen it burn, seen it set straight again, but not quite how it was before. I've seen horrors and wonders, life and death; I've seen it all, Danvers, and I'm tired. The world's changing again, I can feel it. But this time, I've no desire to see what the future holds. Man wasn't made to live forever, and neither were werewolves. In short, Alpha, I've come to die."

Jeremy studied the mutt in front of him. Jim, he'd said his name was. He'd discarded all of his clothing save for a threadbare undershirt and patched jeans in obvious preparation for a fight, but despite the trespass on his territory, he wasn't sure he would oblige the old man.

"Why come here? There are easier, and less painful, ways to get yourself killed, old man." Jim snorted and shook his head.

"Not looking to kill myself, young un." Jeremy felt himself tempted towards a smile at being called 'young'. "I'm looking to die. There's a difference, see. Our kind, we weren't meant to grow old and die peacefully in our sleep. Our own natures see to that, but for some reason, I have. Grown old that is, not the dying part, not yet. Anyway, I don't want to wait around in this decrepit old body for another decade before I finally kick it. I want to go out fighting, and who better to challenge than the Alpha?"

As he contemplated his response, Jeremy noted that his Pack had relaxed somewhat. Clay was still tense, but not to the point of being ready to spring at any moment. Instead, his son seemed confused, trying to determine if the mutt before them posed any real threat to anyone but himself. Elena, he was somewhat surprised to see, had a sympathetic look on her face. Antonio, Pete, and Logan were still scanning the area, as if considering whether this could be a ploy to get close to their Alpha, but all three were also surreptitiously trying to warm themselves against the increasingly violent wind which whipped snow around them. Nick was openly hopping from foot to foot, hands shoved under his armpits. Jeremy noticed for the first time that the younger Sorrentino was barefoot, and barely contained the grin that threatened to split his face. Maybe he'd learn a lesson. Then again, it was Nick. Sighing, he turned back to the mutt that had trespassed on his sacred ground.

"Jim, you said it was." The mutt only nodded. "Well, as much as I hate to disappoint you, I'm not in the mood for killing at the moment." Clay grumbled, but Jeremy knew that he likely wasn't inclined to kill the old werewolf any more than his father. At least not unless he posed an actual threat to anything more than a housefly.

"I've trespassed, and broken Pack law these last thirty or more years. Now what do you have to say to that, Danvers?" Jeremy snorted again, this time not bothering to hide the humor that crept into his voice.

"I suspect that you are going to tell me that you settled down in some out of the way place, in expectation of your impending death? Montana, maybe? Alaska? The Canadian Rockies? No matter. I don't kill children, and having now been confronted by an elderly werewolf, a situation I never quite imagined myself in, I find myself extremely reluctant to kill you, although I could order Clay to do so." Clay glanced at him, and his son's unease with that idea rolled off him in waves.

"Jeremy. You wouldn't." Elena's appalled response came from behind him.

"No, I wouldn't. In fact, I'm more inclined to invite you in for a drink, given that you pose no threat to my Pack, and sending you on your way in this snow in that junk heap you arrived in would be a death sentence itself. What do you say, Jim?"

"I will have you know that that junk heap, as you call it, is an extremely well cared for 1955 Ford. But, you are right in that she'd be outclassed in this weather. So, if you refuse to fight me, then yes, I will accept your offer." He bent down to retrieve his discarded clothing, now thoroughly caked in snow.

As he turned around to return to the house, Jeremy leaned in to speak quietly to Clay. "Keep an eye on him. I really don't think he is a threat, but this is somewhat unprecedented." Clay, who had remained facing Jim, only grunted. "Oh, and send Pete or Logan to the attic to find some dry clothes that will fit him."


	5. Chapter 5

Again, I find myself apologizing for the delay in updating this story. My old laptop gave up the ghost, and I was unable to replace it until recently. Thank you to everyone who has favorited and reviewed this. I truly appreciate the support, and I hope you find that this next installment meets your expectations. I do not own Bitten, in any form.

After the old Ford had been moved out of the main drive, the Pack and its houseguest tramped back into the house. While Pete and Logan scoured the boxes in the attic for cast-off clothing, Elena took charge of getting their guest settled. Clay, torn between his protective nature and natural curiosity, hovered nearby, ready to intervene at the slightest sign that his mate or Alpha might be in danger.

Once his small toiletries bag was placed in a spare bedroom, and Jim himself was enjoying a hot shower, Elena cornered Clay in the hallway.

"He is harmless, Clay. Just an old man tired of living in a world that has passed him by in ways he never thought he'd see." Clay grunted gently, but shook his head. Elena wasn't as hardened as the rest of them, and he hoped that she might never be.

"He's a werewolf, Elena. There is nothing harmless about what we are, regardless of age. But I hope you are right. It wouldn't be a fair fight." Elena smiled and patted his arm, aware of what her mate left unsaid. A series of loud thumps echoed through the house from the attic, and Elena rolled her eyes.

"What are they doing up there? Dust bunny wrestling?" She rolled her eyes again and sighed. "Never mind, I'll go find out. You wait here for Jim, and I'll go cat herding. Or wolf herding, as it were."

Clay shook his head, suppressing the snicker that threatened to escape as Elena flounced off toward the stairs. Pete and Logan would do better to vacate the area than try to handle his mate if she was annoyed. He turned abruptly when the door to the bathroom opened. The water had turned off sometime before, Clay knew, so he wasn't surprised to see Jim standing before him in the clean thermal underwear he had pulled from his small bag. A tidy stack of dirty clothing sat on the floor, and the man's worn face was now deeply creased by a smile.

"That's some woman you have there, m'boy." Clay nodded warily, his attention immediately focused on the Mutt in front of him. Jim continued, "she is only partly wrong, of course. I am not quite as harmless as I might appear, but close to it. I also know that your responsibility is to your Alpha first and your Pack second. I can assure you that I pose no threat to you and yourn."

Clay snorted in gentle disbelief. "I've heard more than one Mutt make that claim in the past, usually right before they try to kill me or another member of my Pack. You'll forgive me if I don't take you at your word." Jim nodded.

"That's fine, lad. Just fine. It's my word, of course, so it matters to me more than to anyone else." Clay could understand that, at least. Personal honor was something he understood, even if he doubted whether any Mutt truly did. But then, there was nothing normal about the man standing in front of him.

A clatter from the stairwell announced Elena's return. Her hair was mussed, her sweater was coated with dust, and a streak decorated her left cheek. Her eyes were vibrant, managing to convey annoyance and amusement in equal measures. She took Clay's breath away, but he again had to stifle a laugh when Pete and Logan appeared behind his mate, covered in cobwebs and dust, and each carrying a neatly folded stack of clothing.

"We found plenty for you to wear for now, Jim. Most of it should be a close fit." Elena smiled sweetly at their guest."

"Why thank you, my dear. I do apologize most profusely for my state of undress, but, well…" Jim trailed off, shrugging shyly. Elena laughed.

"That's quite alright. I am the only woman in the Pack, so I am fairly used to seeing men in varying states of undress. Here, Logan, Pete, take these to the room for Jim, and lets leave him in some peace to get changed."

Clay stood with his back to the fire, watching as Jeremy and Antonio spoke with Jim. Though the setting was informal, the younger Danvers could sense the undercurrent of tension in the room. It was just himself, his father, and Antonio waiting to hear Jim's story. Elena had herded Nick, Logan, and Pete into the kitchen to get a start on dinner. From the clanging, cursing, and smells wafting from that direction, he knew the meal was well underway. Jeremy motioned, and he stalked over to stand behind his father.

Jeremy sat in his favorite chair, with a steaming mug of coffee balanced on his knee. Antonio sat almost gingerly next to Jim, although the old man was more interested in his own coffee than committing any mischief.

"So, tell me, Jim. How did you come to be here?" Jeremy asked, calmly sipping the rich, dark liquid from his mug.

"Well, now." The subject of Jeremy's question sighed heavily. "That would be a long tale full of woe and heartache, one that I would not bring into your home during such a time as this." He waved his hand in the general direction of the Christmas tree. "I do feel that I must congratulate you on the tastefulness of the decorations. None of these gaudy bits that you see in the stores these days."

Clay chuckled to himself, careful not to allow any of his amusement to show. When he heard that Elena was determined to decorate for Christmas, Jeremy had purchased a number of antique ornaments. Elena was thrilled, and even Clay had to admit that they looked better than those he saw in the stores during his infrequent trips into the city.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to pass your appreciation on to Elena. But I'm afraid that doesn't answer my question. I'm sure you are aware that this is an unprecedented action, on my part at least. A Pack Alpha simply does not invite a Mutt, known or unknown, into his home."

Jim smiled wryly. "There are many things that a Pack Alpha does not do, Mr. Danvers. One of which is show mercy, hence my surprise at still being alive. I did, after all, trespass in the heart of Pack territory."

Antonio cut in. "You seem to know quite a bit about Pack life. How is that?"

"Well, that at least is a simple enough answer. I was Pack, once, a very long time ago." Antonio stood abruptly in shock, and Clay took a step forward, ready to place himself between Jeremy and whatever threat the older man posed. Only Jeremy remained seated.

"Sit down, Antonio. Clay, get yourself something to drink. And try not to kill our guest. It would be a shame to get blood on Elena's decorations." Clay snorted, but returned to his place behind Jeremy's chair, and Antonio sat, though he remained tenser than before. Jeremy returned his attention to Jim. "I suspected as much. But I would still like to hear the whole story."

"Of course. And had you let me finish, young man," Jim said to Antonio, "I would have assured you that it was not to your Pack that I once belonged. The beginning would be a good place to start, I think." He drained the last of his coffee and carefully placed the empty mug on the table. "I was born in Ireland in 1856." At Antonio's strangled choking sound, and the stunned expression on Jeremy's face, he smiled slightly, but continued. "Our pack was a small offshoot, allowed to survive due to our isolation. My father was Pack second, close friends with our Alpha. He had a large estate, my father did, not far from the local village. I spent my first ten years there, and most of the Pack lived on the grounds as well. Those were good days. I was the youngest of five brothers, and we and the other Pack sons would run to the village on most days. There was a sort of communal relationship between us and the ordinary folk. They served as a barrier between ourselves and the outside world, and many of the village elders and some of the women knew what we were."

Jeremy cut in. "Your Pack were mating with the village women?" Jim nodded.

"It was a fairly simple arrangement. If a woman caught a Pack member's eye, and bore him a son, custody of the child was granted to the Pack. If it was a girl, the child remained in the village with her mother. As the local landowner, my father sponsored several apprenticeships that brought young men into the village. Kept the ratio of men and women somewhat more equal. Anyway, us lads were told once we were old enough, to prevent inbreeding, see. The whole situation worked fairly well." He shook his head sadly. "That is, it worked well until our Pack Alpha felt his control slipping and decided that many of the villagers knew too much. He ordered the deaths of several people, including my mother. She'd given birth to myself, my brothers, and our three sisters. My father was the sentimental sort, you know, and even though he couldn't marry her, he remained true to her. Even let me stay with her and my sisters from time to time."

"I would imagine that your father took exception to his Alpha's orders, then." Jim nodded at Antonio's statement. Clay suspected that Antonio himself was still in touch with Nick's mother, though he had no proof.

"Yes, indeed. My father and nearly half the Pack opposed that decision. Many had daughters, or lovers, in the village, and feared for their safety. Relations between the two factions began to dissolve, and my father saw the writing on the wall. Our Alpha, a man named Harper, wasn't known for tact or mercy. If it came to blows, then any who opposed him, as well as their lines, would be erased from existence. So, my father booked me passage on a ship to New York. My two oldest brothers had gone a year or so before, an attempt to expand our family fortunes. My father thought I would be safe in their care until the dispute was ended." The old man shook his head and stood, walking creakily to the window to watch the snow fall. When he spoke again, his voice sounded even older, faded and cracking.

"The night before I was to leave, the storm that had threatened us arrived. Brother against brother, father against son. I don't remember much, I was only ten years old after all. Peter, the second youngest, came and woke me up. He was nearly thirteen, almost a man, but not strong enough to fight full grown werewolves. We made it to the stable, but not before seeing John, our middle brother, torn apart by an older boy we had played with only the day before. Peter got me out on one of the horses, and gave me instructions to ride until I could go no further."

Jim turned from staring at his reflection in the window, tears streaking his weathered face, moisture catching on the wrinkles there. In a quiet, barely audible voice, he finished the first part of his story. "I never saw any of my family alive again. Peter ran back to the house, and was killed by one of Harper's sons. My own father challenged Harper, in the middle of his own home, while it burned to the ground. Harper killed him, then razed our village to the ground. Any who didn't flee were butchered, a warning to any that might oppose him in the future. I was lucky enough to board the ship my father had bought my passage on, but received a cold welcome in New York." He snorted. "I found out decades later that Harper had immediately allied his severely weakened Pack with one of the others packs and had my brothers killed."

"How did you survive?" Jeremy asked, breaking the silence that had filled the room after Jim's last statement.

"I fought and scrounged. I grew, learned, and trained until I was a young man, strong and cocky enough to think I could return to Ireland and take back what had been taken from myself and my family, avenge their deaths. I was naïve, though. There was nothing left to avenge. I never made it further than Dublin before one of the werewolves from my old Pack spotted me and told me of all that had happened. That was how I learned of my father's fate, and my brothers'. Of the few that survived that night, and the intervening years, none recalled my existence except in passing. And so, from that day forward, I was just another Mutt, with no one to call family, and nowhere to call home."

This chapter turned out to be a little less cheerful than the rest of the story, but that's the way it played out. The next chapter will be much lighter.


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